Electric socket



May 27, 1924. 1,495,591

J. HOHL ELECTRIC SOCKET Filed Aug. 29 1923 INVENTOR TQRNEY switch carrying Patented May 27, 1924.

UNITED STATES JQHN HOHL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SOCKET.

Application filed August 29, 1928. Serial No. 659,878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN HOHL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Electric Socket, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric sockets and more particularly to separable sockets containing switch mechanism.

An important object of my invention is to provide a socket having cap and body portions which may be quickly assembled and separated when the switch mechanism is in open circuit position, but which cannot be separated when the switch is in closed circuit osition.

Another object is to provide an improved socket having key operated means to control the separation of the cap and body, having fewer parts, of simpler and more rugged construction and cheaper to manufacture than previous sockets of this type.

Still another object is the provision in such a socket of an improved arrangement of the conducting parts more positively to separate the parts of opposite polarity.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in sockets made of molded insulating material but it may also be used with sockets of other types, for example those with brass exteriors.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the body or portion of a socket embodyin my invention,

Fig. 2 is an interior view of the cap or line terminal portion of the socket shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same socket, assembled,

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 3 showing the key spindle and switch cam,

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4;, the plane of the section being through the upset portion of the key spindle,

Fig. 6 is a similar section taken just to the right of the switch cam in Fig. 3 showing the key spindle bearing, and

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective on a larger scale of the latch and its operating means shown in Fig. 3.

The socket comprises a cap portion 1 having a downwardly extending peripheral flange 2 which fits around the upper edge 3 of th bo y p ion 5- T a body is ecessed at its lower end to receive a screw the body is molded. 'If desired the threads may be formed on the screw shell by the use of a suitable piston during the molding operation. The upper end of the body has a chamber or recess 6 formed during the molding operation to house the switch mechamsm.

The cap has the usual central opening 7 to receive incoming line conductors which may be secured to binding screws 8 on the 0ppositely disposed terminal members 9. These members 9 each have a base portion which may be set flush with the inner face of the cap 1 in shallow recesses molded in the cap for this purpose and may be secured thereto by suitable eyelets. The cap terminals also have downward extensions terminating in fingers 10 parallel to the inner face of the cap and adapted to be rotated into engagement with the lower face of the yoke shaped brackets 11 and 12 to hold the cap and body portions of the socket to-,

gether. The brackets have base portions 13 and 14 which may likewise be set in suitably molded recesses flush with the upper face of the socket body. The base 13 is secured in place by a screw 15 which makes electrical contact'with the inner end of screw shell 5 while base 14 is similarly held by a screw 16 which passes from the inner end of the screw shell recess through the body but has 'a countersunk head to avoid making contact with any of the other conducting parts of the socket. One end of base 14 of bracket 12 extends over the recess 6 to form a conducting wing 17 which cooperates with a switch cam to be described.

The connection between bracket 12 and a center contact 18 is made through suitable switch mechanism which also controls unlocking movement of the cap and body. The center contact 18 is secured in place by a screw 19 which extends into recess 6. Seated within the recess is a bearing bracket 20 having oppositely disposed bearing arms or uprights 21 and 22. This bracket may be conveniently held in place by the screw 19. Bearing arms 21 and 22 are slotted as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 respectively to receive a spindle 23 which extends through a notch 24 in the bod portion of the socket and carries suitab e operating means'such as a key 25. Near its left hand end spindle 23 is upt to Provide e 2 whit? fins 2 a e s milarly provided on the spindle just within arm 21. A washer 28 interposed between fins 26 and arm 22 prevents movement of the key spindle to the left as viewed in Fig. 3. An approximately rectangular hollow switch cam 29 having a longitudinal slot 30 to permit it to pass over fins 27 is threaded over the spindle 23 and held in place by a split washer 31 (Fig. 4). The interaction of washer 31 and switch cam 29 prevents movement of spindle 23 to the right when assembled in its bearings.

The left hand end of spindle 23 projects beyond bearing 22 nearly into contact with the left hand wall'of recess 6 and carries a latch 32 which normally extends into one of two oppositely disposed notches 33 when the cap and body portions of the socket are assembled to ether. A spring contact member 34 serves t e double purpose of connecting the center contact 18 with switch cam 29 and of yieldably holding the key spindle and its associated mechanism in place. The right hand end of spring 34 bears against the end of cam 29 when the mechanism is in circuit closing position and holds the switch cam firmly in contact with wing 17 of bracket 12. When cam 29 is in open circuit position the right hand end of spring 34 bears against the side of the cam and prevents accidental movement of the spindle. In all positions of the switch cam the left hand end of sprin 34 bears against spindle 23 near fins 26 an urges the spindle to the upper end of the slot in bearing 22 thus maintaining latch 32 in position to lock the cap andbody against disengaging rotary movement.

When the switch mechanism is in open circuit position switch cam 29 extends transversely of the body portion of the socket and is sufliciently narrow as to permit lifting of key 25 to tilt the spindle about arm 21 as an axis so as to withdraw latch 32 from the notch 33 in the cap. As soon as the latch is withdrawn from the cap it is obvious that a counterclockwise movement of the cap relative to the body will disengage the cap terminal fingers 10 from the body brackets 11 and 12 and thus permit quick separation of the cap and body. However, when the switch is in closed circuit position (Fig. 3) switch cam 29 extends longitudinally of the socket body and bearing arm 21. In this position the previously described washers and fins leave almost no longitudinal play for spindle 23 between its bearing arms. The length of cam 29 is such that any attempt to tilt spindle 23 far enough to withdraw the locking latch 32 from. the cap would be prevented by contact between the lower end of switch cam 29 and the inner surface of bearing arm 21. Since in constructing switch parts in large quantities there is bound to be some variation in size of the parts, I preferably further prevent tilting movement of the spindle when the switch cam is in closed circuit position by providing a down turned lug 35 on the inner ed e of wing 17 of bracket base 14. It will be 0 vious from Fig. 3 that lug 35 almost entirely prevents movement .of the upper end of cam 29 'to the left when in circuit closing osition and thus insures the maintenance 0 latch 32 in locking position whenever the switch mechanism is in closed circuit position. \Vhen the switch mechanism is in open circuit position, however, there is ample clearance between the long side of switch cam 39 and lug 35 to prevent accidental arcing and to permit tilting movement of the spindle to unlock the cap and body portions.

While I have described one specific embodiment of my invention in detail it is to be understood that this is merely for the sake of clearness and that parts may be changed or in some cases dispensed with without departing from the spirit of the invention as described by the appended claims:

1. An electric socket comprising separable cap and body portions, members adapted to be interlocked to hold said portions together, switch mechanism, and means for preventing separation of said portions while said switch mechanism is in closed circuit position.

2. An electric socket comprising separable cap and body portions, members adapted to be interlocked to hold said portions together, switch mechanism, and a latch controlled through said switch mechanism to maintain said members in interlocking engagement whenever said switch mechanism is in closed circuit position.

3. An electric socket comprising separable cap and body portions, conducting members carried by said portions adapted to be ro tated into interlocking engagement to hold said portions together, a switch operating spindle mounted in one of said portions, a latch to prevent unlocking rotation of said portions and controlled by said spindle, and a switch cam on the spindle to prevent actuation of the latch when the switch is in closed circuit position.

4. In an electric socket, insulating cap and body portions, circuit terminals mounted in the cap, a movable switch member mounted in the body, and conducting yokes on the body and adapted to interlock with the cap terminals to hold the cap and body portions together, one of said yokes having an integral extension adapted to cooperate with the switch member in making and breaking the circuit.

5. In an electric socket, separable cap and body portions of insulating material, two terminal hooks secured within the cap and depending therefrom, two conducting brackets secured to the body and adapted to be rotated into engagement with the hooks to hold said portions together, a bearing mema key spina switch cam ets secured to the body and adapted to be rotated into engagement withthe hooks to hold said portions together, said body bein recessed to hold switch mechanism, a rigid conducting wing extending from one of said brackets over the recess in the body, a bearing seated in the recess and having a longitudinal slot, 9. switch spindle extending transversely of the body through the slot and movable therein longitudinally of the bearing, an approximately rectangular switch cam mounted on the spindle, and a spring to urge said cam against said wing when in closed circuit posltion and to hold said spindle against one end of said bearing slot when the switch cam is in open circult position, 7. In an electric socket, insulating cap and body portions, two oppositely disposed conducting hooks depending from the cap portion, two conducting members secured to the body portion and adapted to be rotated into interlocking engagement with said cap hooks to hold the cap and body together, said body portion having a recess in its upper face to house switch mechanism and being formed at its lower end to receive a screw contact shell, two longitudinally slotted bearings near opposite ends of said recess, a key spindle tiltably mounted in the bearin slots, a latch carried by said spindle an adapted to prevent unlocking rotation of said parts unless said spindle is tilted, and a switch cam on the spindle arranged when in one position to prevent tilting of the spindle.

8. In an electric socket, separable insulating body and cap portions having interlocking members to hold them together, the body portion being recessed at its lower end to receive a screw shell contact and being recessed at its upper end to receive switch mechanism, a movable switch cam in the recess, means extending outside the socket for operating said switch cam, and a latch controlled by said means to prevent disen agement of said interlocking members, sai cam when in one position preventing unlocking movement of said latch.

9. An electric socket comprising separable insulating cap and body portions having conductin locked to hol said portions together upon relative rotation of said portions, said cap portion having a recess to receive a latch, said body portion having a recess to hold members adapted to be interswitch mechanism, two slotted bearing arms in said body recess, a key spindle mounted in said slots, a switch cam mounted on the spindle near one bearing arm, a latch mounted on the spindle near the other bearing arm, and a spring having one portion to ur e the latch into locking engagement with t e cap recess and another portion to prevent accidental movement of the switch cam.

10. An electric socket comprising an insulating cap portion comprising a downwardly extending peripheral lip having two oppositely disposed recesses to receive a latch, an insulating body portion having a recess to receive switch mechanism, members on the cap and body adapted to be rotated into interlocking engagement to hold said portions together, a U-shaped switch bearing seated in the body recess and having longitudinally slotted uprights, one of said uprlghts being close to and substantially para lel to a side wall of the body recess, a key spindle mounted in said bearing slots for rotation and for transverse movement therein, an approximately rectangular switch cam mounted on said spindle to bear against the inner face of one arm of said bearing, means for preventing movement of said cam along the spindle away from said bearing arm, means for preventing longitudinal movement of the spindle relative to the bearing in said last mentioned direction, a latch mounted on the spindle between said other bearing and said side wall of the recess and adapted to extend upwardly into the cap recess to prevent disengaging rotation of the cap and body when the latch end of the switch spindle is at the upper end of its bearing slot, and a bow spring in the body recess having one end to urge the latch end of the switch spindle upwardly in its bearing slot and having another end to press against the switch cam to-prevent accidental movement thereof.

11. In an electric socket insulating cap and body members, conducting members secured respectively to the cap and body and adapted to be rotated into interlocking engagement to prevent separation of the cap and body, two oppositely disposed slotted bearings housed within the body, a key spindle tiltably mounted in said slots and carrying a switch member near one of said bearings, a latch mounted on said spindle between one of said bearings and a wall of said socket body, a spring pressing against said switch member to normally hold the spindle at the upper end of one bearing slot, a spring to hold the latch end of the spindle at the upper end of its bearing slot, and shoulders on the cap adapted to engage the latch to prevent unlocking rotation of the cap and body until said s indle is tilted on its hearings to withdraw the latch from said shoulders.

Ill

III

12. In an electric socket, in combination separable cap and body portions having 1nterlocking members to hold them together, the body portion carrying switch mechanism comprising two oppositely disposed slotted bearing arms, a spindle tiltably mounted in said slots and a switch cam on said spindle, a latch carried by said spindle and normally cooperating with said cap to prevent disengagement of said interlocking members but responsive .to tilting of the spindle to permit such disengagement, and means associated with one of said interlocking members to cooperate with the switch cam when in closed circuit position to prevent such tilting of the spindle.

13. In an electric socket, separable cap and body portions, two conducting hooks depending from the cap portion, two conducting brackets secured to the body portion and adapted to be rotated into interlocking engagement with the hooks to hold the cap and body together, two contacts in the body adapted to cooperate with a lamp base, switch mechanism to interconnect one of said contacts and one of said brackets, said mechanism comprising a spindle and a switch cam, and a latch to prevent unlocking rotation of the cap and body but operable by a non-circuit affecting movement of the spindle to permit such-rotation, one of said conducting brackets having an extension to engage said switch cam when in circuit closing position to prevent such unlocking movement of the spindle.

JOHN HOHL. 

